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Timeline celebrates the history of Teddington Memorial Hospital

The Mayor of Richmond upon Thames unveils the timeline. Pictured left to right, Cllr. Blakemore, Stephen Swords (chairman of HRCH), Pamela Bryant (chair of the League of Friends of Teddington Memorial Hospital), Betsy Lewis-Holmes (Richmond Arts Service)

Thursday 6 July 2017

A timeline display celebrating the history of Teddington Memorial Hospital and its role in the local community has been unveiled at the local hospitalby the Mayor of Richmond-upon-Thames.

The project documents the building’s past and changing roles from 1874 to the current day.

Over the past 140 years, the hospital has played a key role in the local area. From humble beginnings with four beds at Elfin Villas, Teddington Memorial has grown to become the pillar of the community that it is today.

The hospital has always maintained close ties with the local area, from inviting donations of ‘dry goods’ during the 1910s - to the fight to save the hospital from closure in 1982/3, where over 31,000 people signed a petition and hundreds of people took part in a candlelit vigil.

To celebrate its history, Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare Trust teamed up with the League of Friends of Teddington Memorial Hospital and Richmond Council’s Art Service, to create a heritage timeline.

It tells the story of the hospital, using archival images and those from personal collections.

The timeline was unveiled on Wednesday 5 July by the Mayor of Richmond-upon-Thames, Cllr. Lisa Blakemore and is now on public display in the main corridor of the hospital.

Cllr. Lisa Blakemore, Mayor of Richmond upon Thames, said:

“Teddington Memorial Hospital has been so important to our borough over the past 140 years. And, it still is today, providing vital care and support to so many people. It has an exciting history and through this inspiring exhibition we can understand how it has been key during many significant milestones in our borough’s past.

“Many people have been involved in this project and I would like to thank them all. But, most importantly I would like to thank the NHS staff who have worked at the hospital over the years. They keep our borough healthy. And, for that I thank each and every one of them.”

“We are proud to unveil this timeline today, which celebrates the rich and varied history of Teddington Memorial Hospital and the hospital that preceded it.

“The timeline will stand as a permanent reminder of the contribution that the hospital and its staff have made towards maintaining the health of local people across Richmond since 1874. It is also a history of the support from the community that has been crucial to its existence. I would encourage patients and local people visiting the hospital to view the display and find out more about its fascinating past."

Pamela Bryant, chair of the League of Friends of Teddington Memorial Hospital said:

“I am immensely proud of Teddington Memorial Hospital’s history and of the role that the League of Friends has been able to play in supporting it over many years. I hope that together, we can ensure that the timeline serves as a mere footnote in the hospital’s history – and that it will continue to serve as a vital resource for the local community for another 140 years.”